Showtime's Dexter was one of the best television series on air in the late 2000s and early 2010s and might even be considered one of the best television series ever. But the crime drama mystery was marred by also having one of the worst series finales in history.
Thankfully, it was announced that a 10-episode limited series revival, scheduled for late 2021, would help bring new closure to the show and finally wrap up the story in the way should have been done in the first place. That said, while fans anxiously await the premiere of the revival, they are likely to theorize about what might happen and revisit questions that many hope the revival will answer.
Does Dexter Get Caught?
The most pressing outstanding question about how the new finale will be handled is if Dexter will get caught in the end. In the main series, the show's final season eight ended with Dexter faking his own death and running off to Oregon.
There, he was a fully bearded lumberjack living alone in a trailer. But his true identity as a serial killer was never discovered, which makes one wonder if the others at Miami PD will have put two-and-two together, or if he returns to kill again and finally gets caught.
Where Are Hannah And Harrison?
While his step-kids Astor and Cody went to live with their grandparents following Rita's gruesome death, Dexter still had his biological son Harrison, to whom he was a single father.
In the final episode of the series, it is revealed that Dexter made a plan with his girlfriend and fellow serial killer Hannah McKay to run away together to Argentina. Except Dexter never showed up and left her to care for Harrison. Where are they now? If the time jump is to skip ahead in real-time since the show ended, Harrison would be a teenager by now.
Will Joey Quinn Return?
One of the most heartbreaking moments of the final episode was Debra's death, with Dexter being the one to disconnect her life support system and telling her he loves her right before she dies.
But there was a romantic love brewing between Debra and her ex Joey as well, and while being rushed to the hospital, she finally told him she loved him. Will he return, still grieving her? And will he figure out who Dexter is and blame him for her death?
Is Dexter Still Killing?
A leopard can't change its stripes, as they say. And a serial killer can't exactly turn off his urges. So how is Dexter fulfilling them? Chances are he is still killing, maybe not as frequently. And without access from the police station, how is he still able to live by Harry's Code, which ensures that he only kills truly despicable people who "deserve it?"
It will be interesting to see what Dexter has been up to this entire time. It surely can't just be cutting down trees. If he is up to his old tricks, how is Dexter killing? And if he isn't, how he is managing without acting on those urges?
Will Any Former Colleagues/Friends Appear?
While Dexter was sort of a lone wolf, with his sister Debra being his only true "friend," he did have other people with whom he was friendly. That includes his co-workers Angel Batista and Vince Masuka.
Their last encounter with Dexter was arriving just after Dexter killed serial killer Oliver Saxon. While Dexter claimed it was in self defense, neither was buying that. But they also had no idea who Dexter was. Did they, at any time between the finale and when the revival picks up, figure out his true identity and what he was doing? And if so (or if not) will they even discover that he's actually still alive?
Did Dexter Grieve Debra's Death?
The very fact that Dexter told Debra he loved her in a way that seemed genuine and out of character for the man who, as a sociopath, really didn't have the capacity to feel anything, said a lot about how much she meant to him.
He blamed himself for her death and decided to fake his own death and leave to avoid hurting anyone else he loves. It was a form of self-punishment to banish himself to a lonely existence. So, how did he deal with grieving for Debra with nothing else to do but think? And did he even have the capacity to grieve at all?
Are Any Of Dexter's Kids Psychopaths?
Harrison was far too young when the show ended so fans didn't know much about his overall personality. He did, however, go through the same disturbing experience Dexter did as a child, witnessing the murder of his mother and being left to sit in a pool of her blood. He is also biologically related to Dexter, and there is that supposed "serial killer gene."
Meanwhile, Dexter's step-kids Astor and Cody went through trauma of their own with a biological father who was abusive towards their mother, then losing both their parents. Astor was already a teenager by the time the show ended, and Cody was a pre-teen who appeared to be an average, innocent child. But he also greatly admired Dexter. Did any three of them follow in Dexter's path?
Will Old Ghosts Come Back To Haunt Dexter?
It would be amazing to see old ghosts of friends and come back to haunt Dexter in the revival, including memorable characters like his wife Rita, sergeant James Doakes, captain Maria LaGuerta, Special Agent Frank Lundy, the Trinity Killer, ADA Miguel Prado – the list is endless and would make for a killer (pun intended) guest starring role or cameo list.
Of course, the most important "ghost" that needs to return is that of Dexter's father Harry Morgan, who often appeared as a sort of conscience for Dexter whenever he was considering going astray or giving in to his urges without "cause."
Did Dexter Make New Blood Slides?
Serial killers often collect trophies of their victims. In Dexter's case, he would keep some of their blood in a slide and add it to his ever-growing collection, which he hid behind a vent in the wall of his home.
In season seven, he burned the box of blood slides atop Ray Speltzer's chest, deciding that it was time to move on. Has he started collecting them once again? Or has he found a new type of "trophy" to collect as a memento of his various victims?
Is Dexter Still In Contact With Hannah?
When Hannah, Dexter's final love interest, reads about Dexter's boat being discovered, blown to bits after a storm, with no trace of Dexter, she tries to fight back tears. But then she smiles. Does she know he's actually alive? Or is she simply unable to grieve?
Does she think he's on his way to Argentina, or does she know he will never show up there? Or maybe he did just plan to lay low and meet up with her in a year or so? Fans want to know how that all pans out.